Questions and Answers About 46. SFS

The Summer Film School is not cancelled! The festival is cut short to six days, and instead of its usual dates it will be held on August 7–12, 2020. The decision was made upon mutual agreement between the festival organisers, the Ministry of Culture, and the town of Uherské Hradiště.

The security of both the visitors of the festival and the citizens of the town will be maintained. Festival director Radana Korená answers some related questions:

Why is the date of the festival shifted to August 7–12?We had to put off our final decision until the last week, so we needed to postpone the festival until August to gain some extra time for preparations. Our team will have to work at full stretch, but it’s definitely worth doing. The first film screening will take place on Friday afternoon, and the festival will end on Wednesday evening.

Why is the festival shorter than usual?With respect to the current pandemic situation and emerging uncertainties, it has been decided that the festival should last only six days. This is also due to the prospects of losing significant financial support. Financial support for many cultural events in the Zlín region has recently been turned down by the regional administration. The partnership with our long-term principal partner ended last year. And the MEDIA fund support from the European Union is still uncertain. Restrictions on the number of visitors will affect the revenues from ticket sales. We would also like to stress that due to the rising operating costs, we have been facing the challenge of sustaining the festival in its usual length. But let’s not anticipate. Let’s hope that this year will take place despite all existing limits.

How will the current pandemic restrictions affect the festival’s programme?The final version of the programme will take account of the shortened form of the festival as well as the current and presumed restrictions. However, it should still be balanced and thematically rich. It will include archive and new movies as well as all usual sections. There will be two open-air cinemas, though in slightly modified forms, accompanying programme for kids, theatres, concerts, and art exhibitions. All these will be held under strict security and health precautions.

What are the exact precautions the Summer Film School has to take?The whole team is ready to follow all current safety rules. We will collaborate with the town of Uherské Hradiště and the regional hygiene station. We believe that all precautions applied will be adequate and sufficient. After all, movie theatres will have been open for three months by that time which should test the best practices (disinfection, pauses between film screenings, number of viewers, services, cleaning, etc.)

Will the Summer Film School host any foreign guests?Presence of foreign visitors and guests will depend on current border policies and state’s coronavirus measures. No further measures will be applied on our side.

Will you mediate accommodation for festival visitors?Yes, we are going to offer various kinds of accommodation. We have been in touch with all providers, setting up the safety rules. More information will be available soon.

When will you launch an official ticket presale and what are the ticket options?The presale is likely to be launched at the beginning of July. An exact date will be announced on our website, social media, and in our newsletter. We will offer full festival passes preferentially.

What would be the conditions under which I am allowed to cancel my attendance and accommodation?Our cancellation policy will be specified once the ticket presale is launched.

What will happen when the epidemic situation worsens?If the situation gets worse, we will have to postpone this year’s edition until next year. All sold festival passes will remain valid until then. Full refund will also be an option. Our cancellation policy will be specified when such situation occurs. Yet we strongly believe that this will not happen and the festival will finally take place.

Why don’t you move the festival to the next year just like others did?Even without famous foreign guests and mass events, the Summer Film School is still the same Summer Film School. The absence of these two things won’t ruin the festival’s unique atmosphere. All crucial aspects will be preserved. On the contrary, it may be long remembered as the “Corona Summer Film School”.

Can we expect the 47. SFS back in the standard form and length?We aren’t giving up in 2020, nor will we give up in 2021. We remain optimistic although we understand how difficult it can be. We are planning the 47. SFS in a range we are able to cover both technically and financially.